Senator Greg Reed announces new Safe Haven baby box in Jasper

Jasper, Alabama, July 31st, 2024 – State Senator Greg Reed (R-Jasper), President Pro Tempore of the Alabama Senate, announced the installment of a new Safe Haven Baby Box in Jasper, Alabama.

"Alabama is a place that firmly believes in the sanctity and preciousness of life," said Senator Greg Reed. "We have fostered a culture of life with the foundational ideal that all children are gifts from God that deserve love and protection, and I am so thankful this new baby box will provide a safe and compassionate option for parents facing the difficult decision to surrender a child. In Alabama, every life matters, and I want to thank everyone who made this wonderful day a reality for our community and state."

The newest baby box addition in Jasper is the seventh location in Alabama. Seventeen states have a Baby Box presence within their state. Surrendered infants are adopted by families who have registered for adoption, and local departments of family services coordinate the adoption process.

"I am beyond grateful to have this life-saving device available in our community," said Representative Matt Woods (R-Jasper). "It was my honor to support legislation that expands Alabama's Safe Haven law to provide mothers more time to decide on how to best care for their baby. We also expanded the facilities in which these baby boxes can be located to include fire departments. I was happy to join Senator Reed in supporting the grant application that helped make this project a reality. I also want to extend my sincere thanks to the City of Jasper, Jasper Fire and Rescue, and Chase and Jordanna Gunter for bringing this project forward."

Each year, the number of children surrendered to baby boxes has increased as more baby boxes have become available. Since 2017, 50 infants have been safely and legally surrendered in a Baby Box, and the National Safe Haven Crisis line has assisted with over 150 handoff surrenders.

Sen. Greg Reed is the Alabama Senate President Pro Tem. - arguably one of the three most powerful people in state government along with the Governor and the Speaker of the House.